Tunisia: MPs demand government reshuffle

Calls within the Tunisian parliament have intensified for a swift government reshuffle, following a review of the current cabinet’s performance, which MPs criticised as failing to effectively handle economic, social, and political files, as reported by Ean Libya on February 7th.

MP Badr Eddine Gammoudi warned that the overall situation in Tunisia has become unbearable, emphasising the need for a change in both direction and personnel to ensure the government can meet the aspirations of citizens.

The secretary-general of the July 25th movement, Mahmoud Ben Mabrouk, said his party has called for a ministerial reshuffle to break the current stalemate, and push stalled projects forward, stating that the recent floods exposed the government’s weak performance in handling crises.

On the other hand, political analyst Mohamed Bouaoud argued that calls for a Tunisian parliament reshuffle at this stage are essentially meaningless, noting that the management of state affairs is already conducted under the direct supervision of the president, and that successive governments are “nominal governments“.

He added that placing all the blame on the government or using it as a pretext for a ministerial reshuffle without objective grounds is misguided, stating that the executive authority is already working to improve overall conditions and secure agreements to strengthen foreign relations and expand trade. He argued that calls to dismiss the government are aimed at appeasing certain parties and obstructing the president’s agenda, rather than responding to any genuine need for change, according to Sputnik.

In a related development, the Tunisian parliament urged for respect for the constitutional guarantees afforded to its members in any judicial proceedings, after the arrest of MP Ahmed Saidani, the assistant to the president, responsible for major reforms.

Security authorities detained Saidani in the northern state of Bizerte on a judicial order, before transferring him to the cybercrime unit in El Aouina.

Local media said the judiciary had ordered his detention and referral to trial on charges of “insulting others through the public telecommunications network,” with no official clarification issued so far.

Saidani, a member of the “National Sovereign Line” bloc, is known for his persistent criticism of the current government’s policies and of President Kais Saied.

Ean Libya and agencies, Maghrebi.org